Tips for Tuesday: Using the Buddy Prop Pack

Props and teaching stimuli are one of the most important elements of teaching – particularly when teaching online. They allow easy visualization and help regain attention for younger Breadies. Because of this, we’ve developed Buddy Prop Packs which are sent out to all of our contracted Buddies including everything you need for young Breadies through to adults. This week’s Tip for Tuesday is all about how to best utilize this pack; what is included and what you can do with it.

One for our younger Breadies, the wiggler is a great way to break the ice at the beginning of the session, introducing a fun and friendly face and a second voice who may be a little less scary than the large adult holding it!

If your Bready is shy, you can introduce your wiggler and ask them to show you one of their toys. If the Bready is at a lower level and exploring colours and senses, ask them questions about the wiggler and its appearance, use its face for learning ‘eyes’, ‘ears’ and ‘mouth’.

Sometimes it can help to ask the Bready’s toy questions, the Bready may begin feeling more comfortable speaking through the toy.

It also provides an excellent visual for young Breadies if their attention starts to wander. Hide the wiggler in the corner of the screen and get it to pop out to surprise them and make them giggle.

Of course, there is an age limit to this, and some fifteen year olds may be a little unamused seeing a puppet in a class, so always be mindful of what is age appropriate.

Magnetic whiteboard

We thought we’d spoil you with both an online and at home whiteboard! This is the perfect tool for filling in missing letters, teaching phonics or drawing bad pictures of cats.

A tool that can be used for any age of students, highlighting certain verb endings, the breakdown of spelling or to write down a reminder to hold up in class. The magnetic whiteboard brings in an extra dimension to the classroom, bringing the attention more towards your face and you as a teacher, rather than what is on the screen and the electronic whiteboard.

For adults this is also a great tool, you can write down the question asked or small mistakes they often use which can be held up when they repeat the mistake, helping them make their own corrections.

It can also be great for marking down scores if you are playing a game with your Bready or doing an assessment.

Marker pens x4

In a range of colours so you can categories and underline in different colours on the whiteboard.

Magnetic Letters and Numbers

Who doesn’t love spelling out new vocabulary in magnetic letters? Fun for both Bready and Buddy! Especially good if you’re doing a word jumbling exercise. A fun, colourful and thus visually easy to remember way to write down new words or play games.

These are particularly handy when extending a resource as you can easily include a spelling game such as countdown which feels like a break from the class activities in the presentation.

-Games you can play:

Word jumble – The Bready must rearrange the letters to form a word

Missing Letters – the Bready has to remember (or guess!) what the missing letters of a word are.

Hangman – write out _ _ _ _ for the number of letters and let the student try and work out what the word is before the hangman is formed.

Countdown – The Bready has to select 8 vowels and consonants at random and then make a word from what is selected.

The magnetic letters are also a fun way to introduce your name to new Breadies at the beginning of the session, so they can see your name which may help them remember and pronounce it.

You could do the same with their name to make the lesson personal!

Photobooth props

To add some humour to your sessions! Make your Breadies giggle with tiny moustaches and glasses – good for guessing games and for new vocabulary. An excellent way to regain the attention of young Breadies whose minds have started to wander.

These can also be used for vocabulary memory, you can use the props to highlight different facial features such as eyes and mouth, as well as clothing such as glasses and hats.

You can also use them to present different characters to your Bready if there is a reading activity or game requiring role play.

Hopefully these tips will help you plan your lessons with the props in mind! Buddies, please share your tips on how best to use the prop pack and what fun activities you’ve created. We’d love to share your ideas!

See you next week for more #tipsfortuesday. Please don’t hesitate to email us at socialmedia@iqbar.co.uk if you have any comments or questions!

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At IQBar, our aim is to offer a high quality online teaching experience to all of our students, whether it is English conversation practice or utilising your academic degree to help them achieve exceptional grades at school. If you love to teach and aspire to be completely in control of your work life schedule, IQBar is the place for you! .